


what we have

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: dare to dance [10]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Post-Episode: s10e09 Ka la'au kumu 'ole o Kahilikolo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-18 17:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21530698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: Kono  spends Thanksgiving with Five-O and the rest of the makeshift family they've gathered over the years.
Relationships: Kono Kalakaua & Danny "Danno" Williams, Kono Kalakaua & Steve McGarrett
Series: dare to dance [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1507634
Kudos: 15





	what we have

**Author's Note:**

> "Gratitude turns what we have into enough." - Melody Beattie

“Hey,” Kono greeted cheerfully, walking out into the McGarrett backyard at around five o’clock, a tin of cookies baked by her grandmother in tow. Nearly two dozen people were already gathered, though the number of chairs at the table she’d passed by in the house suggested more might very well be expected.

“Hey,” Steve returned, tossing the football he’d been holding onto across the yard to Lou before making his way over to her and taking the cookies from her. “How was lunch with your folks?” he asked, leading her over to the dessert table. “Everyone doing okay?”

“They’re great,” she assured him. “And I did invite them over, but my brother’s only going to be in town for another few days, so they’re trying to spend a little extra time with him.”

Steve nodded in understanding. “Okay. Well, if they’re on the island next year, you tell them all to come on by. I mean, with Princess cooking, telling her to make food for twenty is basically ensuring you’ll have enough to feed at least sixty, and I can only reinvent leftover turkey so many ways.”

Kono hummed her agreement, then changed the subject. “How’s Danny doing? He told me the other day that Rachel was taking the kids to visit her family for the holidays.”

“Oh, he’s dealing with it the way he deals with anything involving actual emotion,” Steve reported. “He’s avoiding the subject entirely unless left with no other choice.”

“Further proof you’re perfect as partners?” Kono suggested drily, arching a brow in amusement.

“Do you want to eat tonight?” the lieutenant commander threatened lightheartedly. “Because I don’t have to feed you.”

“Oh, please,” Kono scoffed humorously, shaking her head. “That’s the definition of an empty threat. It’d make Princess lose her mind if anyone left here hungry.”

“That’s a fair point,” Steve admitted begrudgingly. “I don’t have anything left to threaten you with now, though.”

“Have you considered that maybe that was my master plan?” Kono suggested innocently, smirking at the exasperated look Steve shot her way. “I’m gonna go bug Danny now. Don’t let anyone break their arm throwing that football,” she warned over her shoulder, glancing back once more to shoot both the Five-O commander and her ex-husband a pointed look before heading over to where Danny and Eddie were lounging by the beach.

“You’re late,” Danny greeted promptly, not even bothering to glance up from his cell phone until he’d sent the message he’d been typing out.

“Yeah,” Kono sighed, sinking into the sand next to the chairs and reaching over to give Eddie a pat on the head in greeting, “it turns out my parents are really good at the whole guilt-tripping thing. I tried to leave at least half a dozen times before I was actually successful.”

“Ah, parents,” Danny commiserated. “You invite them over?”

“I did,” Kono confirmed. “But Ryo’s in town, and he brought Alya with him this time around, so…”

“Alya’s the fiancée, right?” Danny scoffed amusedly when Kono simply nodded in response. “They have her running for the hills yet when you left?”

“Eh,” Kono shrugged. “She grew up in Russia, which was the Soviet Union until she was ten, and while I know better than most how terrifying my mother is, I don’t really think she is anywhere _close_ to being more intimidating than the KGB.”

“That’s fair,” Danny allowed. “Hey, if your brother’s in town for Christmas, you should bring him by the Palace one day. It’s getting pretty ridiculous that we’ve known you for upwards of nine years and have yet to meet your only sibling.”

“I’ve known you just as long and haven’t met _half_ of your family,” she pointed out, smiling when Eddie hopped down from his seat and trotted off in search of the football his owner had just thrown a bit too far.

“That’s true,” Danny acquiesced. “But my family lives in Jersey.”

“My brother spends most of his time in Afghanistan,” she fired back humorously.

“Okay, so maybe we all need to get better at being social,” Danny replied begrudgingly.

“Says the guy who’s sitting over here by himself when there’re literally two dozen people around,” Kono laughed.

“Yeah, and most of those people want to know what’s going on with my ex-wife. Or, more specifically, what’s going on with _me_ and my ex-wife.” Danny shook his head exasperatedly.

“Maybe I shouldn’t ask this, because it puts me in danger of being shunned like everyone else here, but what _is_ going on with you and Rachel?” Kono questioned curiously. “Because when I first came back, it seemed like you two were on your way to getting back together, and now…”

Danny shrugged. “She’s not here. It’s – I mean, it’s Thanksgiving, and she took our kids halfway across the planet instead of spending it here, with me. So, I’m not entirely sure we’re on that path anymore. In all honesty, I don’t know if I want us to be.”

Kono nodded slowly. “Okay, look. I know our situations are – they’re totally different. Adam and I are somehow still friends, which is honestly one of the weirdest things about my life, and it surprises even me, but here’s the thing. I’m not jealous of him and Zoey. I’m happy he’s happy. And I saw you, Danny, when Rachel was with Stan. You weren’t happy she was happy, and that wasn’t because you didn’t love her. It was because you loved her in a way that you still wanted to be the one bringing that joy into her life. And you can’t just turn that off, no matter how many times she lets you down. You know it isn’t that simple. So, at this point, you’re just being stubborn.”

“Mm. You know, you’re my friend,” Danny pointed out. “Means you’re supposed to take my side.”

“Believe me, Danny,” she sighed, pushing herself up from the sand and dusting off her jeans, “this is me taking your side.” She left him behind with one final supportive pat on the shoulder, then headed over to see if she could help Princess before Kamekona or Flippa fell victim to the older woman’s wrath over whatever it was they were doing wrong.

“Sergeant Kalakaua,” Junior called after she’d managed to prevent Princess from committing murder. “Sorry, I didn’t catch you when you came in. These are my parents.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Reigns,” Kono greeted with a smile. “It’s so nice to meet the two of you. And despite the fact that I haven’t quite talked your son into it, please call me Kono.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Kono,” Mr. Reigns returned, shaking her hand. “How do you know Junior?”

“I used to work for his boss,” Kono told him, turning to shake his wife’s hand, as well. “I left a few years back to take a position with a task force on the mainland, then came back after a family emergency. I’ve been given a permanent invitation to these things, though. Probably because I am the only person other than your son who can be counted on to help with the cleanup after they’re over.”

“Sounds about right,” Mrs. Reigns laughed quietly.

They spoke for a few more moments, mostly about family and the holidays, before Kono left to help set the table inside.

“You know you don’t have to help with this,” Steve reminded her unnecessarily. He said it every time she did, after all. “Lou’s been after me to put the kids to work more often at these things, anyway.”

“I’m eating at the table; I can help make it up,” Kono replied, just as she always did. “And you’re doing me a favor by letting me, honestly, because Danny’s gone from pouty to whiny, and while I really do love him and want the best for him, I can only come up with so many polite ways to call him an idiot.”

“Rachel again?” Steve questioned knowingly.

Kono nodded. “You ever feel like we’re watching a very depressing romantic comedy, but instead of only lasting two hours, it’s lasting upwards of nine years?”

“Not until you said it just now,” Steve admitted amusedly, passing a stack of napkins across the table. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she nodded, reaching for a handful of the silverware piled in front of her. “What’s up?”

“Is it normal, what Danny and Rachel are doing? I mean, you and Adam…” He trailed off, obviously not knowing exactly how to word what he wanted to say.

“When I filed for divorce, it wasn’t because I stopped loving Adam,” Kono answered bluntly. “But it also wasn’t because hate had started coexisting with that love. When Danny and Rachel got divorced, those two things had been coexisting in their marriage for a very long time. So, no, I never wanted Adam back. But I also don’t think we ever loved each other the way Danny and Rachel did. Do. Whatever. Because I haven’t ever been angry at him for doing what makes him happy, and Danny’s spent most of his divorce being frustrated at Rachel for not letting him _be_ the thing that makes her happy.”

“So, basically, you have no idea if it’s normal?” Steve concluded drily.

“Pretty much, yeah.” She smiled apologetically. “I know he’s your best friend and you want to look out for him, but I think you might have to take a step back on this one, see if he can look out for himself first before diving in to help him out.”

“You’re probably right,” Steve acquiesced begrudgingly. “Though I don’t know how long he’ll let me stay out of it. He tell you he’s moving in for a week or so?”

“I have heard about his mold problem,” Kono confirmed, trying and failing to bite back a smile.

“Why does everyone keep acting like he’s actually got a mold problem?” Steve asked exasperatedly.

“Because we were all hoping you’d buy it?” Kono suggested helpfully.

“You know why he’s doing it, don’t you?” Steve questioned resignedly.

“Yeah,” Kono replied softly. “And I know it annoys the hell out of you, but remember, Steve – you’re his best friend, too.”

Steve nodded, glancing over at the spot where Kono had left their friend. “Yeah. Only reason I haven’t killed him yet.”

“That’s vaguely concerning,” Kono informed him honestly. “And by _that,_ I mean the fact that I legitimately can’t tell whether or not you’re joking right now.”

“Keeps the mystery alive,” Steve pointed out evenly, smirking slightly at the look she sent his way. “It’s good to have you here again this year, Kalakaua,” he murmured a moment later, every hint of humor replaced by complete sincerity.

“Yeah,” she replied just as quietly, flashing a smile of her own across the table as she met her eyes. “It’s good to be back here, too.”


End file.
